Ghost of A Rose
by lovelyladylily22
Summary: POST NFA. Spike survived the fight in LA, barely. Buffy still believes Spike died for good in Sunnydale. When Angel finds her, he proves to be a distraction. But is it a good thing or a bad thing? Starts out a bit Bangel, but will end up being Spuffy and Cangel.
1. Chapter 1

It happened again. I woke up in a cold sweat. Something was coming. I was sure of it. Some big fight. I glanced over at the clock, and groaned. It was 3 a.m. Still far too early for me to be up for the day. But I felt much too awake to fall asleep.

Early morning in Scotland, I had discovered quickly, was much different than early morning in LA. Even Sunnydale had once had a bustling city nightlife comparatively. But at 3 a.m. In Glasgow? My only viable option was to patrol. So that's exactly what I did. I got dressed, gathered my things, and left. I was careful not to wake my neighbor, the elderly Mrs. Skeates.

I headed for the nearest graveyard. Scotland had been quieter than Sunnydale, but that really wasn't saying much. It was still very active, given the Hellmouth resting underneath it.

"Hey cutie. What is a nice piece like you doing out at a time like this?" A voice spoke behind me. I turned, ready for anything. The voice had been familiar. When I turned, however, I knew my mind had just been playing tricks on me. It wasn't a blonde vampire in a long black coat standing in front of me, regardless of how much I wish it had been.

"Who are you?" I don't know when it happened, but I definitely had lost my touch with the puns. The vampire stepped forward. It was clear now that he wasn't human.

"I'm your best nightmare." His face twisted into the mask of a vampire. I slowly smiled at him. Clearly, he wasn't familiar with who I was. That's what I loved about not permanently settling in one spot for too long. It was so fun, watching the realization hit them.

"Oh is that so? Am I supposed to scream now?" I pulled out the stake, hidden in my sleeve. "How about no." The vampire lunged forward. Fighting him was over far too quickly. It did little to ease the restlessness I felt.

After a while, I realized there weren't going to be any more fights tonight. The sun would be up before long, so I headed back to the town home I was renting. Mrs. Skeates was already awake, and when I came in, she invited me for a cup of coffee. She was the only other person I had met locally who drank it and we had gotten in the habit of sharing a pot every morning, She also never asked questions about the late hours I kept.

"Rough night, lass?" I nodded, wondering if she could tell just by looking at me how little I had slept. "When is that sister of yours coming to visit again?" I smiled, thinking of Dawn.

"Next week. We'll be heading for London a few days after she gets here, but I'll be coming back a week after that." Mrs. Skeates reached over and put her hand on mine.

"I'm glad she's visiting you. It'll be good for you." I nodded.  
"I've missed her. More than I realized I would." I sighed. "Anyway, Mrs. Skeates. I should really get ready for the day. Do you need me to bring any groceries home tonight?"

"No, but thank you dear one. I hope you have a pleasant day." I thanked her and headed up to my home. I got ready. I was dreading the upcoming meeting, but it was important.

I called for a car and headed to the office building. It looked like a normal building to those who didn't know the truth. I knew. Secretly, these walls housed a newly assembled group of men and women. We were working on putting together a squad of Slayers for the area, but as of yet, the newbies were still too untrained.

But the Watchers' Council had felt okay sending a small group of Watcher's to keep an eye on me and the small coven of witches in the area. Giles knew I'd be able to train the newer Watchers in the unconventional. So far? All I had really been doing was meeting with the suits and going on regular patrols. Don't get me wrong, there had been plenty of action in Scotland. It's just that...well, after Sunnydale, I had been looking for something. I couldn't ever put my finger on it. For a while, Giles had agreed to let me travel. It eventually became clear, however, that I wasn't going to find what I was looking for. That's when he stationed me here. Cut off from my friends. But honestly? It's not like I could have even begun to tell them what was going on with me when I didn't even know myself.

Plus, there was the danger. We didn't even know the source, but someone was targeting the newbies. Someone was killing the girls Willow and I had turned into full Slayers. Instead of giving them the power to defend themselves, I had made them targets. And whomever it was, it didn't seem like the Slayer strength was enough to fight back.

It's why I had been sort of banished. Or, at least, a good part of the reason. I knew Giles was worried about me, not just because of this new threat. So, I was trying to make the best of what I was given. And I was enjoying living in Scotland. Really, I was. I figured if I told myself that enough, I'd believe it.

:~:~:~:

It was dark. And cold. He was alone. Everything hurt. He didn't want to move. But he knew he had to. He had to get away. _Something_ was after him. He didn't know what, but he knew he had to run. Slowly, he stood up, gasping sharply as the movement tore parts of his burnt flesh away. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.

"Sir? Are you-" The rest of the girl's question was lost in a scream of fear and disgust. He shrank away from the loud noise. He moved back into the shadows of the alley he had woken up in and curled back into a ball, his hands clamped down over his ears. He just wanted it to all go away. The pain, the noise, the light. Everything. He rocked back and forth, in pain and completely freaked out.

"He's over here, milady. What do you want us to do with him?" A masculine voice spoke from close to his head. He wanted to see who it was, but he didn't dare move. Maybe they weren't talking about him. Besides, movement meant pain.

"Very well, Urien. Let us take him to the house. Quickly now. Before we're found. Mabon will be looking for us." The woman's voice faded as she walked away. Hands reached out and gently hauled him up. He couldn't help the snarl that came from his lips.

"Sorry, mate." The first, masculine voice spoke again as he was carried out of the alley. He had no strength to walk. They got to a car and he was helped into it. The pain had become too much, and his vision was going black. Voices came to him but

"I still don't understand why he's important, Makoto. He's just a vampire. A stinking, half-dust vampire."

" Hush, Consus. You know nothing of William Pratt. He is the champion we have been looking for." After that, he was lost to the darkness. Still, at least he knew his name, even if it meant little to him.


	2. Chapter 2

I finished the meeting without falling asleep. This was nothing short of a miracle given the tedious subject and monotone company. I left the offices and headed outside. The weather was cloudy, but it wasn't raining at least. And it was warmer than it had been for a few days. I decided to head down to the open air market nearby.

After a bit of shopping, my mood was much improved. I went back to the apartment. I would be meeting a few newbies the following day, since Giles had picked a small group that seemed ready. I hoped he was right.

I was asked to let them crash with me. Which was fine, it wasn't like I wasn't used to it. Except that I had gotten used to being on my own. So I needed to make sure the house was ready for them to stay with me.

After a few hours of cleaning and making sure the guest rooms were in good shape, I decided to grab lunch. There was a little cafe near the house I had fallen in love with. I was walking to it when I saw him. Or at least I thought I did. There was no way it could have been him.

The dark haired man didn't seem to be paying any attention to anything in particular as he rushed down the street in the light rain. My heart started pounding. But instead of rushing to him, I was rooted to the spot. How? This couldn't be possible. It was raining, and cloudy. But the sun was still shining. How was Angel here then? How was he not a pile of ash. And, perhaps most importantly, how come I didn't sense a vampire around?

Angel looked up finally, saw me, and stopped in his tracks. A slow smile spread across his face and he rushed to me. Angel hugged me tightly.

"Buffy! I've been looking everywhere for you." For a moment, memories of what had happened between us overwhelmed my current feelings, and as he drew me into a kiss, I kissed him back. But I came to my senses and pulled away.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help the slight tone of accusation in my voice. Angel looked stunned. Clearly, he had been expecting a warm welcome.

"I thought...well, after it happened, I thought you'd want to know. I thought you'd be happy." I blinked at him. He took my hand and pressed it to his chest. His heart was beating. I looked up at him. Confusion filled me. On the one hand, I wanted him. I wanted to be with him. Angel being human was something I had wanted for so long. Now, we could be together.

Even still, there was a voice somewhere deep inside that asked if I really wanted it anymore. A lot had changed since Angel had left me. _I _had changed. So much so. The Buffy he had loved would never have been in love with Spike. But I was. Even this long after his death, I knew I was completely in love with him. But...Spike wasn't here anymore. He couldn't kiss me, or hold me at night. Angel was. So...maybe I needed to move on?

"Buffy? Are you okay?" Angel looked at me worriedly, our hands still clasped. I sighed.

"Come on. Let's go talk. I was about to grab lunch at this little cafe nearby. We can talk there. And you can tell me how this happened."

We sat down and ordered lunch. I stared down at my hands on the table, suddenly very nervous. I could feel Angel's eyes on my face, but I couldn't think of what to say.

"You look great." he said, softly. I looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Thanks. So do you. So how...how is it that you're human exactly?" He took a deep breath before starting his story. I got the impression throughout the recounting that he was editing certain details for my benefit, but I decided it wasn't worth asking about at that moment.

"It started not long after I visited you in Sunnydale. Wolfram and Hart convinced me and the others to help them. To work for them. I thought it was a good idea. I honestly thought we could take them down from the inside." He covered his face with his hands.

I sat there studying his face in silence for a while. I was certain he had been evil when I had learned he was working with Wolfram and Hart. In fact, I had taken Dana and hid her away because I was so convinced. But now? Watching him? I felt self-doubt settle in. I might have been wrong after all. Angel continued.

"I signed away my right to the Shanshu Prophecy. Or at least I thought I had. I pretended to be a part of the Circle of the Black Thorn. I learned, thanks to Cordy before her death, that they were the real power behind the Senior Partners. I joined them to take them down. They remained suspicious of me, and I signed away the Shanshu Prophecy to prove myself to them."

"Okay, wait a second. What is this this Satsuma Prophecy you keep mentioning?" Angel grinned briefly but it disappeared quickly.

"Shanshu. It's a prophecy Wes discovered and translated. It basically stated that a champion, a vampire with a soul, would play a pivotal role in the apocalypse. As a reward, he would be restored into a mortal human being. We were convinced from the beginning it was me. Until you told me Spike had gotten his soul." Angel shook his head.

"In fairness, he did sort of save the world with that amulet." Angel glared at me and I sighed.

"I am aware of that. But it doesn't discredit the things I did, Buffy. I might have made a few mistakes, but clearly the Powers That Be thought I still deserved the Shanshu. After all, that's how I'm human." I studied his face. He was telling the truth. After all, I had felt his heart beating myself. And Spike was...gone. So clearly, the prophecy couldn't have been intended for him. As much as I would have liked to think otherwise. I looked down at my hands.

"So now that you're human, what does it mean for...us?" I still couldn't bring myself to look at Angel. But when he spoke again, his smile was almost audible.

"That's why I wanted to come and find you. I was hoping you'd decide. I know what I'd like. I want to spend the rest of my human life with you, Buffy. Regardless of everything that has happened, I am in love with you. I still care very deeply for you." He reached over and touched my cheek. I looked up at him, swallowing a ball of emotion that threatened to break me.

"Okay. Let's take it slow. We can start with lunch and see how it goes." He smiled softly. Just then, our waitress brought our food. Conversation was lost for a bit while we ate.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up in a strange room. Looking around, he had tried to figure out where he was, but nothing looked familiar. His body shook and he fought for control. Someone sat down on the bed beside him. A hand touch his face lightly.

"Here. Drink. It will help." A cup was held to his lips and he drank of the tangy liquid inside. It eased the pain and burning in his throat a bit. All too soon, the cup was taken away. Subconsciously, he made a growling noise. "Easy. You can have more in a bit. But for now, you need to take it slowly." He slumped back against the bed, exhausted.

"Wh-where am I?" It was by no means the most important question on his mind, but he figured it might be the easiest for someone to answer.

"This is a house owned by Makoto Kuramoto outside of Fresno, California. And you need to rest." The person stood up and moved away. He forced his eyes open again, even though the slight light hurt him. A man stood by the door and let the slender woman who had fed him and spoken to him out of the room. He studied the man, trying to figure out if the man posed a threat. Not that it mattered, he decided. It's not like he could fight at all.

He slumped back against the pillow and closed his eyes again. Eventually, the darkness overcame him again. He was lost, drifting and unsure of who he was or how to find his way back. Then, he saw her. A blonde girl. Something about her made his chest ache. But when he tried to draw near her,she disappeared, leaving him frustrated. He heard a voice on the wind call out, but it almost seemed to be nonsense.

"Spike! I'll find you. I promise."

:~:~:~:

That night, I had gone back to my townhouse. Angel had gone to a nearby hotel. I crashed on the couch, exhausted mentally if not physically. Half-way through some romantic comedy I had put on TV, I fell asleep.

In the dream, it was dark. Almost pitch black. But there was something, barely visible. The light grew brighter. Then, I saw him. Spike. A million and one emotions passed through me. This dream was so different than the others. It wasn't a memory. And yet, it felt SO real. My heart ached to touch him, but as I reached out to do so, I was pulled away.

"Spike! I'll find you. I promise." As I woke up, tears streamed down my cheeks. I wasn't even sure why my dream-self had promised to find him. I knew, without a doubt, that he was beyond my reach. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was a little after midnight. Groaning, I decided to go upstairs and try to get to sleep again. I curled up in bed, and tried to fall asleep but it quickly became obvious that it was not happening. With a sigh, I sat up and reached over to the bedside table, pulling out the silver lighter. As I laid back down, it caught a glint of moonlight and reflected it on the wall above my bed. I turned it over in my hands, admiring the reflection on the wall.

I closed my eyes, picturing Spike again. I smiled as a tear or two leaked from my eyes. I clasped the lighter to my chest and started to fall asleep. This time, my sleep was blissfully uninterrupted by dreams.

When I woke up in the morning, I actually felt well rested. The lighter was still in my hand. As I sat up, I put it away. I got dressed and headed downstairs to make some coffee. Just as I reached the kitchen, there was a knock on the door. I sighed, looked at my coffeepot wistfully and headed for the door. I opened it to a large bouquet of roses. Angel grinned up at me, clearly proud of himself. I pasted a smile on my face, and accepted them. He followed me inside and kissed my cheek briefly. I led the way to the kitchen.

"I thought you might want to grab breakfast and do a little sight seeing today." I had my back to Angel as I reached up to grab a vase. But I could nearly picture the hopeful expression on his face. I closed my eyes for just a second and pictured Spike's smiling face before I turned to look at Angel.

"Sure. That sounds great." Angel beamed at me. I put the roses in the vase with a little water and went to grab my coat. We headed out to the car he had rented.

Angel headed for a cafe. The entire time he drove, Angel talked, filling me in on the battle in LA and other things that had happened. I listened, and responded when necessary, but my mind was elsewhere. Subconsciously, I reached for the chain around my neck. I played with it, but was careful not to lift it up high enough to reveal the ring on it.

"So, Buff. How did you get stationed in Scotland?" I shrugged.

"They needed someone with enough training. And I was between stations." I could tell he knew I was leaving stuff out, but Angel didn't push me to explain. I appreciated that. We arrived at the restaurant for breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

He woke up again. A young girl with auburn hair was sitting beside him. He sat up slowly.

"Take it slow. Makoto didn't want you over-doing it." The girl moved to help him sit up. Once he was in an upright and comfortable, the girl moved to grab a glass and help it to his lips. He drank deeply of the liquid and it made him feel better almost immediately. He could feel his skin trying to heal itself.

He still felt weak, but the liquid had energized him more than he had thought possible. "Who exactly is Makoto?" His voice was still rough and it hurt to speak.

"Hush. Makoto asked me not to explain anything till she got back. She should be here soon." The girl set the glass aside and picked up a book. He studied her for a minute before sliding out of the bed. The girl jumped up, clearly not expecting his movement. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"I need to get out of this room before I lose my mind. Surely, this Makoto will understand." He headed to the door. It swung open before he touched it. He nearly stumbled into a man standing on the other side.

"Oh blimey. We didn't expect you up and movin' quite so fast."  
" Consus, don't let him fall." The girl appeared at his side then.  
"Come, now Phaedra. He looks much better. I'm sure Makoto won't mind him being up out of bed for a little while." Phaedra, as it turned out, was the girl who had been sitting with him. "Come on. I'll show you around a bit." Phaedra shook her head but didn't move to stop him from following Consus. Consus showed him around the house for a while, making sure he wasn't too exhausted. Makoto returned partway through the tour.  
"So. Our patient is on the mend. Glad to see it." Makoto put a bag down on the kitchen table and turned to him. "Since you're well enough, William, there are some things I want to discuss with you in private." It took him a few minutes to realize she was still addressing him.  
"William?" He looked at her confused.  
"Oh bloody hell." Consus said softly. "He's got amnesia Makoto." Makotot sighed.  
"Come with me, William. We need to talk." She led him into a small office and closed the door, leaving the two of them alone inside.


	5. Chapter 5

I spent most of the day with Angel. Being around him for that long brought back memories of what had once been. I would be lying if I said that some of the feelings I had once had for him remained. That night, as I lay in bed waiting for sleep to come, I thought about Spike. Okay, so that was nothing new. But I tried to figure out what he would want. This was new. I had spent too long only thinking about what I wanted. What I needed, or thought I needed anyway.

After a while, I gave up with a sigh. Clearly, tonight was going to be one of those sleepless nights. I got up and got ready for a patrol. I headed out, careful not to make too much noise and wake Mrs. Skeates up. As it turned out, my worry was unnecessary. She was already awake, sitting on her porch.

"Late night, lass?" I nearly jumped out of my skin and screamed because I hadn't seen her before she spoke.

"Mrs. Skeates. I thought you'd be asleep by now."  
"No, lass. I find it hard to sleep with all the vampires roaming the streets." I stood stock still, shocked. I had never discussed my "calling" with her before. As far as I know, no vampires had ventured that close to our neighborhood. Vampire killings were drastically down and I was working to keep them under wraps. So how did she know?

"How...wait, what?" Mrs. Skeates grinned widely at me, clearly proud of herself for knocking me off center.

"There is much you are not aware of, my dear." She stood up. I realized I had assumed her body was frail, since I had never seen her actually standing up. But even in the dark, it was clear she was very strong despite her age.

"I see that." I smiled and moved closer to her porch. "So, say that I believe in this sort of stuff, which I am not saying I necessarily do, but if I did...how do you no about it?" I studied her face.  
"My dear child, you may drop the pretenses. I know who you are, Buffy. I know you are the Chosen One, the one who changed the way Slayers were chosen." I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously. "Ease your mind, lass. I am no threat to you. I am a witch. Fourth generation member of the Glasgow Coven. When you were stationed here, I received a call from Willow Rosenberg. She had heard my name mentioned several times in the circles we share. She simply asked me to keep an eye on you." I wavered, unsure. A voice questioned whether or not I should trust her. But something about this woman made me trust her. I couldn't put my finger on it though.

"So that's what you've been doing this whole time? Keeping an eye on me?" She sighed.

"Don't look so disheartened, dear. I genuinely enjoy your company as well." She smiled warmly. "Anyway, I will let you get to patrol. Try not to be too late, all right lass?" I nodded, smiling back and went on my way. I headed for the cemetery and was almost there when they struck.

"Ain't she cute." One of the men said, moving to me. "She smells good too."

"Alvis, we should not play with this one. She is a Slayer." A female said, slinking out of the shadows. "She may be pretty, but she's killed a great number of our kind.

"But Norma! I'm so hungry. And her blood...she smells so nice." The female vampire, Norma, snarled in reply to Alvis. They began to fight. That's when I moved. Faster than they realized I could move, I struck. It took me less than thirty seconds to stake them both.

When I had finished them, I head soft applause. I turned, and saw a tall blonde man. My heart stung ever so slightly as another vampire's reaction to seeing me kill vampires came to mind. For a second or two, I was lost in memories.

"Nice work, love." I froze as the newcomer spoke. Sure, it was clear this was not Spike. But his accent...it was so similar. "I thought the Soller twins would present a problem for you. Clearly, I was mistaken." The blonde vampire moved into the light.

"Who are you?" He smiled slowly. The more I took in his appearance, the more it was clear how vastly different he appeared than Spike. His hair was darker, a more natural blonde. He was taller, much taller. But he was lanky. He was clearly unhealthy.

"My name doesn't matter. What does is that I have come with a warning for you."

"Oh yeah? What warning is that exactly?" Instead of answering me immediately, he snapped his fingers. Two demons stepped forward carrying a prone figure between the two of them. My heart sped up as I realized it was Angel. He looked like he had been badly beaten and dragged around.  
"You will leave us alone. My kin have no problem with you. We do not kill humans. We have discovered an alternate life source. But if you continue to attack us, we will be forced to take measure." The demons threw Angel, and he landed at my feet. He was conscious, but barely. I knelt down, and he pulled me to him. I was shocked by the sound of a small whimper coming from him. When I looked up again, the demons and vampire were gone.

Carefully, I managed to get Angel and I home. Mrs. Skeates was still awake. When she saw me, she rushed over to Angel and I, faster than I had realized she could move. She helped me get him inside.

"What happened?" I quickly explained the events. "I can heal him. He'll still have to deal with some pain, and need to take it easy for a few days, but he should be okay. I need to gather some of my supplies. I'll be right back, lass." She left again.

Angel was laying on the couch and I touched his cheek. He looked at me and sighed softly. "I wanted to be a hero. I saw this vampire following a girl and I thought..." His voice trailed off.

"Hush. You don't need to explain. You need to rest, Angel." I kissed his cheek softly as Mrs. Skeates returned. Just then, I noticed that my clothes were covered in blood, so I went up to change, trusting her enough to take care of Angel. It was only when I was alone, in my room, that I realized my hands were shaking.

:~:~:~:

"Sit down, William. You still look far too pale. That dragon must have done a number on you." He sat down as Makoto said.

"Dragon?" His voice was rough.

"I'll start at the beginning." She sighed, and then began to tell him a story. "You were human when we first met. It was before I knew what I really am. I am a Lanaiciesti demon. We're a rare breed. Especially now. When you were turned, I lost touch for many years. Then, about twenty years ago, I had heard about a vampire nearby. I hadn't realized you had started using the name Spike until then. As a vampire, I had known you as William the Bloody." She half-smiled, watching his face. "I tried to track you down to talk to you, as I had experienced a terrible vision of what would come. But I couldn't find you. You were constantly moving. Then, five years ago, I heard about this little town in California. It was called Sunnydale. A Slayer, by the name of Buffy Summers, lived there. As it turned out, so did you. Before I managed to get to you, I was taken by Mabon, one of the last Lanaiciesti princes. He wanted me to be his queen." She looked off into the distance.

"I barely escaped. If it hadn't been for Consus, Phaedra and Urien, I might not I finally found a portal to bring me back to Earth, it was too late. The battle I had foreseen had already happened. Los Angeles is in ruins. Unlike my vision, however, you had survived. You had been taken by the dragon as a sort of plaything, and it took us awhile to find you again. I am not sure how you ended up in the alley where we found you, but I'm glad we did." She smiled at him. It was a warm look, not romantic in nature, though he wouldn't have known even if it had been. He smiled back, though he still didn't remember anything. The name William didn't feel like it even belonged to him. The name Spike did feel better, but it wasn't as familiar as another name Makoto had mentioned. The name Buffy had hit him like a flash of cold water. He couldn't picture the girl it belonged to, but he had felt _SOMETHING_ when her name had been brought up.

They sat there in silence for a while. 'William' tried to digest everything she had said. Finally, he shook his head and stood up. "Thank you for filling in some of the details, love. It's been insightful. But I need to...I don't know. I need to get out of here. I feel trapped." Makoto looked up at him worried.

"I didn't intend for you to feel as though you are a prisoner here." He nodded.

"I know you didn't, pet. But it doesn't make it any less true." She nodded, somewhat reluctantly.

"That can be arranged." She stood up and together they left the office. They headed outside. It was dark now, and 'William' looked up at the moon. It took his breath away for a few moments. "We should get you some blood first." Makoto was studying him.

"I'm fine. Really, pet." Makoto nodded and they headed to a car. The other three Lanaiciesti demons joined them and the group took off.

"What's the plan Makoto?" Phaedra asked as she got into the car.

"Mabon will be looking for us. We have stayed in one place far too long already. I had a thought that we could go to London." She glanced at 'William' but he wasn't sure quite why. "We should be safe there." Consus, Urien and Phaedra agreed. So, they found a private jet and Makoto paid the pilot to take them to London.

:~:~:~:


	6. Chapter 6

I changed clothes and came back down. Angel was sound asleep. Mrs. Skeates was sitting in a chair in the living room, knitting when I came downstairs. She looked up.  
"He'll be asleep for a long time. I was wondering if you might care to explain tonight's adventures?" I looked at Angel and felt the sting of tears in my eyes.

"I...I don't know quite where to begin." Mrs. Skeates nodded.

"Why don't you begin with how you know him." She indicated to Angel. I nodded and sat down.

"Angel was...he was my first love. I don't say that lightly. He was a vampire." Mrs. Skeates nodded.

"I am aware of Angelus' very dark past." I nodded and continued.

"Well, I had to kill him. He was evil. But then he came back. I wanted to try, but he thought...he thought it would be best for him to leave. Then...things happened. I fell in love with someone else. But that someone is gone now. Angel...he's here. He's human. Maybe we could...but then he got hurt. I'm not clear how, but he somehow got involved in the fight with a nest I uncovered. They used him as bait." I bit my lip again as I looked at him.

"He will be fine. But might I make a suggestion?" I nodded, wanting nothing more than to hear what she had to say. "Perhaps you should not be involved with someone until you are certain you are completely over the death of the other person you were in love with." Mrs. Skeates stood up and smiled at me. "But what do I know? I'm an old lady." She hugged me before leaving. "If you need anything, I'm nearby."

"Thank you for everything." Mrs. Skeates left, and I moved to Angel's side. I knelt down beside him. He opened his eyes as I did.

"Buffy?" He mumbled softly, and I reached out to touch his cheek.

"I'm here, Angel." He smiled and reached up to touch my hand.

"Thank you." His voice wavered slightly, making my heart clench.

"For what? I didn't really do anything." He smiled.

"You did, though. You saved me, Buffy. More times than you realize." He pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I'm serious. You have saved me repeatedly." He reached out and touched my face and I froze. "It's part of why I came to find you. I wanted to know I am who I am supposed to be." He covered his face with his hands. "Only...I am so lost still. I don't know if you can even help me." I sat up and moved closer to him.

"Hey. Look at me, please." Slowly, Angel looked up at me. I smiled softly. "You're not lost. I know who you are. I see you clearly." He leaned his head down and kissed me. As I kissed him back, I was again faced with the indecision. I did not honestly think I could ever love Angel the way I had before. Too much had changed. My heart had completely changed. But it wasn't exactly like I had my heart's desire. So maybe...

"Thank you, Buffy. For your faith in me." He kissed my forehead.

"Get some sleep, Angel. I'll come check on you in a bit." He nodded and laid back down. I stood up and headed for my room. I would have to do a lot of thinking at some point in the near future, but I was not going to worry about it tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

Keeping 'William' concealed proved to be the hard part about their travels. Makoto came up with a few ideas, one of which 'William' agreed to. So, once he was taken care of, the plane took off. During the flight, 'William' fell asleep. His body was still repairing the damage of the fight he couldn't remember. His brain, however, was spinning. In sleep, the amnesia was a foggy haze, but his memories came to him as dreams. Specifically the memory of one person. It felt like he was a casual observer, watching the scene without being able to actually experience it.

_He hurt. All over. His face felt like it had been hammered by a sledge hammer. He was laying on something made of stone. Then, she came in. Only it wasn't really her, he didn't think. It was the copy of her he had gotten made. _

"_Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds." He looked at her as best as he could, given how swollen his face was. He sat up._

"_Yeah? They feel real sexy. Where you been?"_

"_I fell down and got confused. Willow fixed me. She's gay." _

"_Will fixed you? I'd have thought they'd melt you into scrap." _

"_They were confused too. Do you want to ravage me now?"  
"Give us a minute. Got some bones that need mending." _

"_Why did you let that Glory hurt you?"_

"_She wanted to know who the Key was."_

"_Oh. Well, I can tell her and then you won't have to-" She turned and started for the door._

"_No." He shouted. The effort caused him to cough. "You can't ever. Glory never finds out." She turned back to him._

"_Why?" _

"_Because Buffy...the other, not-so-pleasant Buffy. Anything happened to Dawn, it'd destroy her. I couldn't live with her being in that much pain. I'd let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did." She moved to kiss him. The moment her lips touched his, he knew. This wasn't the bloody robot. He pulled away and looked at her, confused. She looked him right in the eye for a few moments before moving towards the door. _

"_And my robot?" He asked, already sure he knew the answer. She turned back to him, but didn't move back to him._

"_The robot is gone. The robot was gross and obscene."_

"_It wasn't supposed-" She interrupted him._

"_Don't. That...thing. It wasn't even real." She turned away from him again and took a few steps. "What you did for Dawn and me. That was real." She turned to glance back at him. "I won't forget it." He watched her leave, and then the dream faded to darkness. _

He woke up, a smile on his face. He knew her name now. The name of the girl he had been dreaming of for as long as he could remember. "Buffy." He said it quietly to himself, enjoying the sound of it on his lips.

The plane landed not long after he woke up. Makoto carefully helped him out of the compartment he was in. As they left the plane, a pang of homesickness filled 'William' even though he didn't understand it. Makoto found a car and they headed off to a place Makoto had arranged for them to stay.

:~:~:~:

The following morning, Angel was still asleep as I made breakfast. I considered waking him up, but I figured he needed the rest. It wasn't until the doorbell rang that he even stirred. I moved to open the door, calling good morning to him as I passed.

As I opened the door, I got a surprise. Dawn stood on the other side. She grinned at me and threw me into a hug. Now much taller than me, she was at an advantage.

"Dawny! I thought you were coming tomorrow! Why didn't you call me when you landed?"

"I figured you'd still be asleep." She peeked around me. "I did not figure you'd have company." She blinked at Angel, suspiciously.

"Hi, Dawn." Stiffly, Angel stood up and came over. "How have you been?" He was very clearly standing in the sunlight. Dawn's jaw dropped.

"How?" I grinned.

"He's human now. Look, come on in, have some breakfast and we'll all catch up. Okay?" She nodded, still looking at Angel warily. The three of us spend the rest of the morning catching up. We decided to go out for lunch, and Angel was looking much better as the day progressed. Dawn and I were discussing our plans for the few days she would be here before we went to London. But before we could put any of those plans into place, my phone rang.

"Hey Buff. I know you and Dawnie were planning on coming to London in a few days, but I was wondering if there was any chance you could move it up. There's a...situation here." Willow's voice sounded stressed. I sighed.

"I suppose we can. I might be bringing someone else with me as well." Willow was excited, and tried to pressure me into telling who it was I was bringing, but I refused. We hung up, and I started making arrangements for the three of us to head to London.

I found a flight out that night. We packed quickly, and caught out flight just in time. Angel sat beside me.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He looked at me worriedly.

"Of course it is. You're human now. There's not much they can say about me bringing you with me."

"I suppose." He looked away. Something about the look on his face worried me, but I decided not to think about it right now. Instead, I focused on worrying about what the situation in London could possibly be.


	8. Chapter 8

"Slayers." The word felt familiar in William's mouth. Urien studied him for a long moment.

"Come. It is time for us to return. If the Slayers are out, it will not be safe for us." Urien led him back to the ancient house Makoto had rented. Phaedra greeted them at the door.

"Did you see anything exciting?" She was practically bouncing up and down. 'William' and Urien had decided not to tell anyone but Makoto about the Slayers. So, they glossed over that part.

After talking to Makoto, 'William' found he was absolutely exhausted. He made his way to the room Makoto had set aside for him and was asleep almost as soon as he laid down. He was almost hoping he dream of _her_ again tonight. He wasn't disappointed.

_She was laying in her bed. He looked down at her as though from a great distance. Softly, barely a whisper, she called out a name._

"_Spike." She rolled over, her blonde hair draping her face. He longed to reach out and touch her face. He reached out and was completely shocked when his fingertips actually brush her skin. Buffy stirred. Her eyes opened, but it was clear she couldn't see him. Even so, it seemed like she sensed his presence. She sat up in bed and reached over. She turned on her bedside lamp and reached into her nightstand drawer. He caught the shine of something metallic as she pulled it out. Whatever it was she held, she cradled it to her chest._

"_Oh Spike. I wish you were here. I feel like I'm making a huge mistake." She shook her head and got out of bed. He tried to call out to her, to tell her he was there. But his voice was quiet even to his own ears. _

Suddenly, the dream shattered and he was back in his own bed. His un-beating heart felt shattered. He sat up in bed, and became aware of a dampness on his cheeks. He brushed it away as his door was flung open.

"Oh bloody hell!" He shouted, as three girls rushed in. He recognized them from earlier that night. These were Slayers.


	9. Chapter 9

I hugged Willow as soon as I saw her. She greeted me excitedly. She's shocked to see Angel, but not as completely shocked as I thought she would be. It wasn't until we were in a car on the way to the new Watcher's Council headquarters that she became business-like.

"We're facing a huge problem. Slayers have been disappearing like crazy. We haven't been able to trace them. It's like they're being taken to another realm or something. If they were being killed, their deaths would leave behind a psychic trace. But there hasn't been anything like that. One girl, Cara, disappeared right in front of a group of Slayers' eyes." Willow shook her head. "It's bad, Buff."

I nodded, thinking of all the potential enemies capable of this type of thing. I missed out on the next part of the conversation, and am only aware that I had when Angel touched my cheek.

"Buffy. Are you listening?" I looked up at him and nodded. Willow sighed and repeated herself.

"I was telling you about the group of Slayers who went off on their own last night." I nodded for Willow to continue. "We haven't been able to get a hold of any of them since they told us about Cara. But it appears they have gone rogue. We think they were tracking a demon they had seen while on patrol." Again, I nodded.

"Okay, so first things first. I'm going to want to track down these rogue slayers and make sure they didn't do anything stupid." She nodded in return. "Then, we can look into the disappearances." I looked at Angel, and bit my lip. "Will you be okay with hanging out at headquarters till I get back" He shrugged.

"Sure. I'd rather go with you, but given what happened..." He trailed off and looked out the window, his expression distant again. I touched his hand lightly.

"I know you want to help. But in this case, it is best if you stay where it's safe until I know the extent of the situation." I smiled at him when he finally looked back at me. Something in his eyes worried me again but I brushed it off. Finally, we arrived at the headquarters. We all had to give the guard identification. Afterward, I was whisked off to a debriefing of sorts before I can even settle into my room.

Giles hugged me tightly as soon as he saw me. I hugged him back, realizing as I did just how much I missed him. "I'm sorry you have to visit us under the circumstances. I am glad to see you, however." I was suddenly aware just how much he had aged in the last year. It made my heart ache.

"I should have visited sooner. I'm sorry things have gone so pear-shaped lately Giles." He hugged me again.

"All is forgiven. Let's get started talking about what's been going on." I was shown to a seat and Giles began addressing the other Slayers and Watchers in the room. He explained everything that was known about the disappearances, which wasn't really that much. After he had finished, I was given a more personal debriefing about the Slayers that had gone rogue. Willow and the Coven had been working on finding their location all day. They believed that they had succeeded. I was given the information on each girl and the location. I set off immediately, with a few of the girls I was familiar with.

We found our way to an ancient house. It was in amazing condition, despite its evident age. I knocked on the door. As I had expected, there was no answer, but I pushed the door open. Slowly, we entered the house. It appeared empty until we neared one of the upstairs bedrooms. Voices became clear as we came up the stairs.

I moved to the door where we could hear the voices coming from. I listened carefully.

"Where is she, scum?" A female voice, probably one of the Slayers', shouted. I heard a grunt, then a male voice answered.

"I have no clue who you are talking about, or where she is. I'd help you if I could, pet." Then, there was screaming, and the sizzle of burning flesh. But it was lost on me for a second or two. I knew that voice. There was no way it was possible, though.

There was no more thought of subterfuge. I burst through the door, startling the three girls on the other side. I took in the figure tied to the bed, but I did not allow my eyes to linger on him for long. I needed to concentrate on the girls. They rushed at me. Being careful not to inflict permanent harm was difficult, especially when I thought about what they had been doing before I entered the room. But we managed to subdue them without doing them too much harm.

After I am sure that they cannot hurt anyone else, and the other girls are busy combing the property, I rush to the bed. The form on the bed was badly injured. Clearly the Slayers had been torturing him for quite some time. But he raised his head. One of his eyes was swollen completely shut, the other was barely slitted open. Still, it was obvious he could see me at least a bit. He called out to me in a very weak voice.

"Buffy..." Then, he slumped over in the bed, unconscious.


	10. Chapter 10

((Before you read this next chapter, I want to point out:  
this was NOT intended to be a Bangel story. I have nothing against the character of Angel. I am not portraying him as evil.

Nasty reviews about my choice of storyline are not welcome. But I can promise that it will be worth it in the end.  
Also, this is a long one because I may not be able to post for a few weeks. But please keep reading.))

He had remembered everything the moment he had woken up. Not that he had had much time to give it much thought. The Slayers stormed in, and one of them hit him. Hard. He fell to the ground, and struggled to recover. Before he could, the Slayer that had hit him landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He felt a rib crack. Then, they hauled him up to the bed. They tied him to it. With him subdued, they turned their attention to the Lanaiciesti demons downstairs.

One of the girls stayed with him. He learned her name was Laura. She hadn't been training long. That was obvious in the way she carried herself. But it didn't mean she was incapable of hurting him. By the time the others had returned to start questioning him, Spike was already sporting quite a few bruises on his face and one of his eyes was swelling shut.

"Where is Cara?" The leader moved towards him.

"I'm sorry, who?" He blinked at her blankly.

"You know exactly who I am talking about. But it's okay. Pretend you don't. We'll get it out of you." She opened the heavy curtain on the window enough that it burned his arm. He screamed in agony and they seemed to take a certain enjoyment out of it.

"Now where is Cara?" This went on for quite a while. His burns would just begin to heal when they would do the sunlight again. When that didn't get them anywhere, they took turns pounding on him. When they got tired of that, they used their stakes but were careful not to puncture his heart. They tried holy water to no avail. Finally, they had gone back to the sunlight.

By the time Buffy had broken down the door, he was barely clinging to consciousness. In fact, when he had first seen her, he was certain he had either died or was dreaming. Then, she had moved to him. Suddenly, everything went black and he felt himself slump. Then, he was lost in the darkness.

When he came back to himself, he was in a dark room. At first, his mind panicked. He wasn't sure where he was. As though she sensed his distress, Buffy appeared at his shoulder.

"Spike, relax. You're safe." Her voice had an immediate effect. He calmed down, and looked at her.

"Buffy, I-"

"Hush. There's time for us to talk later. Right now, you need to focus on healing." She touched his cheek, then stood up. "I'll come to check on you later this afternoon. But no one will bother you down here. I promise." She left without another word. He fell into a restless sleep after that.

:~:~:~:

Getting Spike out of the house proved difficult. It proved less difficult when I found the demons in the basement. Granted, they didn't really look like demons. They looked human. But there _WERE_ certain things about them that made me aware of their differences. They were all in bad shape but I knew we had to help them. The girls were leery, but I managed to convince them.

The girls were distracted with the demons and it gave me the chance to call Willow. Instinct told me that she'd be hesitant but ultimately willing to help. She proved that instinct right. Carefully, we managed to get him out of the house without setting him on fire. Getting him into the headquarters was relatively easy, given the excitement. I hid him in the room I had been assigned, knowing no one would bother him if he was there.

I sat with him for a while, but I knew I'd have to face the others eventually. There were so many unanswered questions eating at me, but he was in no shape to answer them. That was clear when he finally did come to. I calmed him, but I knew he needed more rest. And probably some blood. So I decided it was time for the inevitable. As soon as I knew he was calm enough to sleep, I left.

Angel was the first person I ran into. I dreaded the moment I would have to explain to him that I had to follow my heart. I was fairly certain he'd have a very difficult time understanding it. As it turned out, that was a big understatement.

"Hey Buffy. Everything okay?" He stopped me in the hall. His voice was urgent, but I sensed something else underneath his tone. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I also couldn't ignore it this time.

"Sure, Angel. Everything's all good. Everything okay with you? You seem kinda stressed?" He shook his head and reached up to touch my cheek. I moved away from him. Hurt was clear on his face.

"What is it? What did I do wrong?" I looked up at him.

"It's nothing you have done. I just..." I shrugged. "I guess I realized some things I needed to realize. I'm sorry Angel. But this can't happen." He glared at me, his eyes practically going red with anger. He backed me up against the wall with surprising strength. One hand grabbed my throat.

"You are not sorry now, but you will be." He kissed me roughly, the hand still around my throat. Fear filled me, but it wasn't the fear of danger to my body. The voice that had come from his mouth was not Angel's. It was rough and deeper.

I pulled away from him and glared at him. I could barely get enough air to speak, but I managed it. "Who...are you?" The voice laughed, a deep rumble in his chest.

"You will find out soon enough, my pet. You and that vampire you're hiding. You'll all pay for your sins soon enough." Again, he roughly kissed me, then he released me and I slid down the wall to my knees. The demon disguised as Angel disappeared. Sobs wracked my body. I should have realized sooner.

Willow came down the hall a few minutes after and found me. She helped me up. Slowly, I told her what had happened. She sighed.

"I thought there was something odd going on." She suggested we talk to Giles, but I was reluctant to leave Spike alone, given the threats the not-Angel being had made. She agreed to stay with Spike while I went to talk to Giles.

:~:~:~:

Spike woke up in the dark room again. He knew he hadn't been asleep very long. He was also aware of a presence in the room. He was certain it wasn't Buffy, but he wasn't sure who it was. Until she spoke.

"Hey, Spike. I'm gonna turn on the light, okay? I can't see in the dark the way you can." Spike opened his eyes, and saw Willow.

"Sure." He struggled to sit up.

"Careful, Spike. You still have a lot of healing to do." Willow flipped on the light and moved to his side. She handed him something, and it took him a moment to focus his eyes on it.

"Where did you get this, Red?" He looked up at her, aware that his tone was slightly accusatory. She held her hands up.

"It's not what you think. I didn't steal it from you. Dawn found it. In Buffy's jacket pocket. Apparently, she's been carrying it around with her since Sunnydale." Spike flicked open the top of the little metal lighter. He remembered the dream, the hint of metal he had seen Buffy holding. Could this be it?

"How..." He started to ask, but then the memory came back to him.

_Spike and Buffy were getting ready to face the apocalypse. Again. She asked to use his lighter for something, but he was soon too distracted to ask for it back. Then, came the amulet's power. And the burning. Terrible burning from the inside out. He held on long enough to make sure she got out okay. _

When he came back to himself, in Angel's office, he had not been too overly concerned about a lost lighter. In fact, he hadn't spared it much of a thought since. Now, he stared at the lighter in slight disbelief.

"You know what this means, right?" Willow was watching his face carefully. "That she kept it all this time?"

"I...I don't...I don't know what to think at the moment, Red." He met her eyes, trying to clear the lump of emotion from his throat. "She tried to tell me. She even said it. But I...I didn't believe her." He shook his head, remembering that moment.

"_Oh, bollocks." He said, as the amulet became hot on his skin. __A bright blue light shot up from the amulet and suddenly turnned a warm orange color. "Buffy" He called out to her. _

"_Spike!" Before Buffy could get to him, the amulet refracted the orange light out into the Hellmouth like rays of sunshine, but with concentrated intensity of laser. The gathered forces of Turok-Han began to crumble to dust. Faith led the other girls up out of the Hellmouth as Buffy rushed to him._

"_I can feel it, Buffy." _

"_What?" She looked at him confused, and concerned. _

"_My soul." He looked back at her, then away. "It's really there. Kind of stings" __Everyone else had gotten out of the Hellmouth, but she still remained behind with him. "__Go on, then" He told her, hoping for once she'd listen. She shook her head._

"_No. No, you've done enough. You could still-"_

"_No, you've beat them back. It's for me to do the cleanup" The walls started to crumble around them. They both watched. Faith appeared again, and called down to Buffy._

"_Buffy, come on!"_

"_Gotta move, lamb." She looked back at him, something very much like panic on her face. "I think it's fair to say school's out for bloody summer." _

"_Spike!" Her voice was full of emotion he couldn't understand at that moment._

"_I mean it! I gotta do this." He held up a hand to stop her. Buffy laced her fingers through Spike's, and they burst into flame together. Buffy looked into his eyes before speaking softly._

"_I love you." All this time, he had wanted to hear those three words from her. All this time, she had told him it would never happen. And now that he was dying, she said it. But he could not believe she really meant it. Certainly, she was only saying it to comfort him in his last moments on Earth. Possibly, she felt she owed it to him. But she couldn't truly mean it. _

"_No, you don't. But thanks for saying it." Something briefly crossed her face that he couldn't quite make sense of. The ground shook and Buffy let go of his hand. "Now go!" She ran up the stairs. "I wanna see how it ends."_

Despite that, here in his hand was the proof that he needed. She did care. Maybe, just maybe, she really was in love with him despite everything she had always said to the contrary.

"There's something you should know." Willow interrupted his reverie.

"What?" She sat down in a chair near the bed again.

"Angel is human. He found Buffy a few days ago. They had been catching up and she brought him with her to London." Cold dread snaked through his stomach. He remembered the fight, the moment that Angel had Shan-Shued. Of course the prat would go find Buffy as soon as possible.

"Oh." It was all he could think to say. He held the lighter tightly.

"I'm not finished." He looked up at her again. "Buffy knew as soon as she saw you that she had to save you. She called me and I helped. But she wasn't sure what to say to Angel. Until a few moments ago. He found her in the hall and she basically told him she couldn't be with him when her heart wasn't in it. He attacked her. It sounds like he's possessed. I'm sure Giles is going to send a force out after him. But the important part is-" He interrupted her.

"That prat attacked Buffy?" He jumped out of bed, still a bit unsteady. He kept his balance, though, and rushed for the door. "Where is she?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Spike. She's fine. But she's talking to Giles. Who doesn't exactly know you're here, by the way." Spike turned to her, wanting nothing more than to rush after Buffy but knowing it might be best to show some prudence. He nodded and moved back to sit on the bed.

"Buffy is alright, though? You're sure?" Willow nodded emphatically. Spike slumped on the bed, feeling exhausted again. "Okay. But I promise you. Angel will not get away with attacking her." His eyes closed and he fell into blackness again.


	11. Chapter 11

I talked to Giles for quite some time. I was very careful not to give away the fact that I was currently hiding Spike. It was hard, especially because every part of me wanted to run back to him. To be with him. He had looked so terrible when I had left.

"Angel attacked you? Buffy?" Giles looked at me, worriedly. I wondered how many times he had repeated the question.

"Yes. But Giles, it wasn't him. Not really. It was like he was possessed." Giles took off his glasses and began polishing them on his shirt.

"So Angelus is back." He sighed softly. "On top of everything else going on, we'll be-" I interrupted.

"No, not Angelus. This...this was something else entirely. It was not Angelus. I swear it." Giles studied my face. Eventually, he nodded slowly. I stood up. "I want to change clothes." I shivered slightly. "Let me know what you plan to do."  
"Buffy, wait. Please." There was a certain pain in his voice that made me turn back. It had been a long time since we had been close. His eyes were crinkled, and I realized suddenly with a pain in my heart that Giles was beginning to show other signs of age.

"Is everything okay, Giles?" Again, he sighed.

"Slayers are disappearing left and right. Wolfram and Hart have resurfaced in Italy. Other Slayers are going rogue. The Watchers are spreading themselves thin." He rubbed a hand over his face and then put his glasses back on.

"I'm sorry." I said it softly and sat back down. "I should have been helping you sooner." He smiled up at me.

"No, you were doing what you needed to be doing in Scotland. Mrs. Skeates explained to me that you had been very successful in dropping the crime rate." I scoffed.

"It sure didn't feel like it had dropped at all." Giles chuckled softly.

"Be that as it may, latest statistics show a positive change. That is the reason I sent some of the girls to take your place." I nodded.

"I'll go on a patrol tonight. Maybe I can figure out why the girls are disappearing." Giles nodded, something very much like hope fluttering in his eyes for a moment.

"Take any of the girls you need, and any equipment you would like. Please let me know if you find anything of importance." I nodded before standing again and leaving the room.

:~:~:~:

Spike was lost. He wasn't sure where he was, but he was aware of a light. All around him. He felt warm for the first time in a very long time. Then, he heard it. At first, the sound was muted and indistinct. He didn't move, feeling as though he was frozen to the spot. But the noise did grow louder.

It became clear to him that someone was crying. And not just anyone, it was a woman. He vaguely recognized the voice, but couldn't place it. The light suddenly grew brighter, almost blindingly so. Then, in a second, it was gone. In its place was the figure of a crouched woman. She was sobbing, her shoulders shaking.

He moved to her. The woman's head jerked up as he neared her and Spike realized why the voice had sounded familiar.

"Bloody hell! Cordy? What are you doing here?" Cordy blinked at him, her horrible sobbing stopping abruptly.

"Spike?" Her voice was rough, clearly not used except for sobbing for a while. She wobbled a bit as she stood up.

"What are you...where are we?" Spike looked around at his surroundings.

"This is a Purgatory of sorts. I've been here for...gosh. I don't really know. It feels like months. But it could have been simply days." Cordy shrugged.

"But I don't understand how I got here." Spike's voice held a hint of panic even he heard.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Cordy studied his face. She was keeping her distance, and he couldn't honestly blame her. After all, when she had seen him last, he had bitten her, thinking she was evil.

"I remember...being in the Slayer's room. Buffy...she was attacked. By Captain Forehead." Cordy narrowed her eyes, but didn't speak. "Willow was explaining to me that Buffy was all right. And then, I fell asleep." Spike shook his head.

"So you didn't die or anything?" Spike shook his head.

"I don't believe so. I was in pretty terrible shape thanks to the mini-Slayers and the dragon, but my body was beginning to heal." Cordy studied him again.

"If Angel attacked Buffy, there had to have been a reason for it." She put her hands on her hips, and glared at him, waiting for him to argue.

"I don't know. I haven't exactly been involved with either of them recently. But Angel became a human. He...what was it called?"

"He Shan-shued?" Cordy's voice was barely a whisper. Spike nodded.

"But I think something went wrong. The fight...I can only remember bits and pieces of it. ARGH!" Spike clamped his hands to his temples as fire-like pain flared in his skull.

"Spike? What's wrong?" Cordy's voice was distorted, but he didn't know why. Suddenly, he was falling and everything went black again.

A moment later, Buffy was shaking him awake. The pain in his head was still there, though nowhere near as bad as it had been. Buffy's face was panicked. Spike sat up.

"What is it? Are you okay, love?" Buffy threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I thought...I don't know what I thought. But you were so warm..." Her fingers touched his cheeks, then combed through his hair. "I couldn't wake you up."

"I'm fine, love. I promise." He kissed her forehead. Then, he saw the bruises forming on her pale skin. He pulled back from her ever so slightly so he could get a better look at them.

Buffy pulled back. "It's nothing. It's not important, Spike. I can't believe you are here." She looked at the door for a moment.

"Somewhere else you have to be, pet?" He smiled slightly at her.

"I have to go on patrol soon." She sighed and looked back at him.

"I'll come with-" She interrupted him as he started to stand up shakily.

"NO. No, Spike. You need to stay here. You still have some healing to do." She helped him sit back down on the bed. "And besides, not everyone is aware you are back. Yet. So it might be safer if you just..." She looked up at him, eyes worried.

"Stay here?" Buffy nodded. "Okay, love. But please be safe. Come back, and I will fill you in on everything." He could see the million and one questions in her eyes, but knew she didn't have the time to ask them at that moment. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Good. Because you have a bit of explaining to do, Spike." Buffy turned and left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Which was a good thing, really. Because he had a lot to think about. Beginning with an explanation for her.


	12. Chapter 12

((I know it's been FAR too long since I've updated this. I'm so sorry all! But I will try to get the ending up in the next few weeks! If you're still reading, a great big THANK YOU. ))

Spike felt it. The moment that Buffy was torn from the world. Of course, at the moment it happened, he had no idea just WHAT he was feeling. He just knew something felt terribly wrong. It was like his un-beating heart had been torn into a million pieces. It felt like there was suddenly a black hole, a vacuum where his heart had been. He sat up, and clutched his hand to his chest. If he breathed, he would probably have been gasping for breath.  
Willow had been sitting beside him. She moved a bit closer. "Spike? What's wrong?" Spike shook his head, unsure.  
"I...I don't know. But something is up." He started to stand up, but the world suddenly went sideways and he nearly collapsed onto the ground. Willow caught him before he hit his head.  
"Easy, Spike. Whatever it is, we'll figure out how to fix it. But you're in no shape to do anything drastic."  
"Buffy. Find Buffy, Red. Something...something is wrong with Buffy." Willow looked at Spike, unsure if she should trust what he was saying or if it was the ranting of an injured and sickly man. Something about the look on his face made her believe him without a doubt. So she stood up.  
"Spike, stay calm, and more importantly, STAY HERE. I'll find her. I promise." Willow left him alone in the room again.

But he wasn't exactly alone for long. The blinding light appeared again, bringing with it the form of a person. Seconds later, it disappeared. But the woman remained. She stumbled slightly, but managed to sit down on the bed.

"Where...where am I?" Cordy looked around the room, her voice slightly panicked.

"Relax. You're safe." Spike reached out to touch her, but Cordy jerked away.

"Who's there?" Her eyes roamed the dark room, having issues adjusting from the bright light to the sudden darkness. Spike finally switched on a lamp. Cordy blinked as her eyes adjusted again to the light.

"Cordy. How in the world did you get here?" She was finally able to make out the shape of Spike.

"Spike? I have no idea. Actually, I don't know where here is, so I can't possibly know how I got here, can I?" She snapped at him. Far from taken aback by her attitude, Spike smiled.

"It really is you. This is the new and improved Watcher's Council. More specifically, it's Buffy's room." Cordy looked around the small room. She was surprised to learn it belonged to Buffy. It had nothing that seemed personal to Buffy at all, save for the vampire sitting on her bed.

"I was...in a sort of Purgatory. I saw you there, didn't I?" She asked, studying his face. Slowly, Spike nodded. "Angel...you said he had gone evil."  
"It appears that way. But there's worse things going on than Captain Forehead going dark again, I'm afraid." Spike filled Cordy in on the details of Buffy's disappearance.

"You felt her leave? Do you realize how insane that sounds? And you're talking to a woman who had visions of the future, gave birth to an evil goddess, and was princess of an alternate dimension. The last several years of my life have been one big crazy-fest. But even I am saying you sound insane." Spike didn't respond. But Cordy caught sight of the look of utter defeat on his face. She decided there was something to what he was saying, and maybe it was worth looking into. Before she could voice this, the door opened and a harried looking Willow rushed in. She stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw Cordy, though, and looked between the formerly dead head-cheerleader and the vampire on Buffy's bed.

:~:~:~:

When I first woke up, my brain was sluggish. I couldn't hear anything until the fog had cleared. The room I was in was pitch black, and I couldn't see anything. Slowly, I became aware of the sound of someone close by, crying softly.

"Whose there?" I called, softly. A young girl's voice responded.

"My name is Cara Wilson. I am from Ireland but I've been training in London for two weeks. Or I had been." I tried to reach to her, but my arms were secured at my waist somehow.

"Cara, my name is Buffy Summers. I'm going to get us out of here. You have to trust me, okay?"

"You-you have a plan?" I smiled at the sound of hope in her voice. I just had to get her out of here. And find the other missing Slayers.

"I have an idea of a plan. I like to think on my toes." She laughed slightly, but without much mirth. Besides, there are people out there looking for us. Both of us." I heard the sound of chains dragging across concrete as Cara moved closer.

"You really think we'll make it out of here?"

"Yes. I really do." I smiled in the darkness. I had found a weak spot in the chains binding me as I had spoken to Cara. Carefully, I worked the link apart, and the chain dropped to the ground. "Cara, I'm going to move to you. I can't actually see where you are, so you'll need to talk to me, to help me find you. Tell me about your life." Cara talked for a few minutes, and I found her. I knelt down beside her and checked her chains for flaws. I found one, and used it the same way I had mine. Soon, she was free as well.

"I don't have anything to fight with." I squeezed her arm gently.

"We'll find you something. First step is to find the door." It took us a while, but we eventually did find the door. Unfortunately, it couldn't be opened from our side.

"They bring food every few hours. I think they'll be bringing it soon." In the darkness I nod, a plan forming.

"Okay, Cara. As soon as the door opens, we need to be ready to charge whomever is on the other side. It's the only chance we have to make a break for it. Are you with me?" Her voice was soft and filled with fear when she finally responded.

"Yes." I reached out and found her arm.

"I will keep you safe. Just follow my lead, okay?"

"I can do that." I smiled at her in the darkness. I knew we'd get along okay. If only I knew where we were and how to get home.


	13. Chapter 13

Spike looked between Willow and Cordy, trying to gauge their reactions to each other. It was common knowledge that the two had not always gotten along. Willow rushed into the room and hugged Cordy, much to Cordy's surprise.

"We heard you were dead. I didn't want to believe it. And now you're here."

"Hey, Will. I'm not quite sure how I got here, actually. I was dead. I was in a purgatory of sorts. Anyway, Spike has been filling me in on some of the things going on down here." Spike interrupted here.

"Any news about Buffy?" Willow looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. Giles is sending a group out to look for any sigh of her."

"They won't find her." Spike said sulkily. "She's not here."

"I know. I've done tracking spell after tracking spell and there's been no sign of her."

"Do you...do you think she's dead?" He shuddered as he spoke. But Willow was already shaking her head adamantly.

"No. I'm positive she's not. If she was, the spell would at least lead me to her body."

"I felt her be taken, Will. I know how insane it sounds." He glared at Cordy as she scoffed.

"No. I totally get it. Ever since I brought her back, you and Buffy have had a sort of connection." She noticed his shock expression. "Don't look so awestruck. Not all of us have remained anti-Spike all this time." Willow grinned at him. "It's why I believe you. But it's also why I'm helping you."

"So what do we do now? How do we find her?" Spike tried to stand up, but his body was still far too weak.

"Rest, Spike. I'm working on a few ideas, but I'll need your help to find her. And you'll need to be in better shape." Spike sighed and leaned back against the pillow.

"Fine. But I want to know when you find out anything. All right?" Willow nodded.

"In the meantime, get some rest." Willow turned to Cordy. "Come on Cordy. We need to talk." Willow and Cordy left the room, leaving Spike alone with his thoughts.

:~:~:~:

Cara and I waited for the door to open. The minute it did, I sprang into action and attacked. Two demons came in and I quickly took care of them. We made our way out to the corridor. It was almost as dark as our cell, so Cara and I stuck close together. The corridor leads to a large room. It was lined with flickering lanterns. In the dim and wavering light, I made out the shapes of other girls. They were all in various forms of consciousness, and some of them were very clearly injured.

Cara and I helped the other girls out of their bindings and out of the room. I looked for a door out of the strange building. Through teamwork, we discover one. Not a moment too soon, either, as loud roars came from the room behind us. I rushed the girls outside. Into a world full of darkness. I looked around, trying to figure out how to get us to safety.

"I'm surprised you made it this far, Buffy Summers." A voice came from behind me. I spun around, and found myself face to face with a demon I had never seen before.

"Who are you?" The demon laughed at me.

"I am surprised you'd expect me to tell you who I am just like that. Why would I?" The demon looked around at the group of girls around me. "Very valiant effort, saving all the Slayers we've taken."

I glared at the demon. There didn't appear to be anywhere for us to run, even if we made it out of this fight. The girls gathered closer to me. I dug a bit deeper and found a reserve of courage there.

"You can beat us, bruise us, make us bleed. But there's something you don't know about Slayers if you expect us to just lie down and take your abuse." I took a small step closer to the demon. "I will find a way to get them out of here. But first, I'm going to get rid of you. And anyone else who stands in our way."


	14. Chapter 14

Spike slumped against the pillows, feeling useless. Buffy was lost somewhere, but Spike couldn't do much about it. He could hear Willow and Cordy in the hall, even though he tried to ignore them.

"Angel is what? Like possessed? I suppose that makes sense if he's human now. Willow, we have to find him. _I _have to find him."

"Cordy, I promise. We'll find him. We'll help him." Spike sighed and stood up. His legs were still wobbly, but not nearly as bad as they had been. He was healing, but slower than normal. That worried him, but he had to focus. He heard Willow and Cordy walk down the hall. He waited until he couldn't hear them anymore before leaving his room. Using the walls of the hallway to support himself, he made his way through the compound. Whenever he sensed someone coming, he'd hide, not sure how the others would react to him.

Eventually, he made his way outside. The sun was down, but he still stuck to the shadows. He had no idea where to go, but he knew he'd find Buffy if it took every last ounce of strength he had left. Spike hadn't seen Urien following him through the compound. It wasn't until Spike had nearly walked into the Lanaiciesti demon.

"Bloody hell! Where did you come from?" Spike staggered and caught himself before he lost his balance.

"William. I have been searching for you. Makoto asked me to make sure you had survived the assault and to assist you in any way I can."  
"I'm touched. Really, I am." Spike was sarcastic. Urien glared at him.  
"I owe you no allegiance. Makoto has asked me to assist you. I owe her my life." Urien took a step closer to Spike. "I will assist you to the best of my ability."  
"Fine, fine. I have no idea how you plan on helping me, mate. I don't even know where I'm going at the moment." Spike shook his head.

"You are looking for the blonde Slayer that saved all of us. Are you not?" Spike raised an eyebrow at him.

"How did you know that?" Spike studied Urien's face.

"The red haired witch was talking about it. I overheard her. The Watcher told her that they had no idea where to begin looking, but what he described sounded like the Slayers had all been taken through a portal." Spike nodded.

"Did you happen to overhear anything actually...I don't know, useful?" Urien glared at him again.

"I know of the location of the spot the blonde Slayer was investigating before she disappeared."

"Next time, lead with that. Where is it?" Urien told Spike, and agreed to lead him to it.

:~:~:~:

The demon looked from my face to those of the girls behind me. Then, he laughed. "You're all unarmed. None of you pose a single threat to any of my kind. What is it exactly that you think you can accomplish here?" The demon hadn't noticed Cara moving around behind him while he spoke, or that she had grabbed a loose panel of twisted metal off of the ground until she rushed at him, running the metal through him. The demon howled in rage and spun, trying to strike her. But Cara had clearly listened to her training, and managed to dart out of the way quickly. The demon stumbled and fell. His body was wracked with spasms for a moment before he went limp. Cara rushed over.

"That was awesome." One of the other girls high-fived Cara.

"You did well. Now, let's get away from the building." I led the girls down a steep hill. We came to a tunnel carved into the rocks. I looked at the girls to see if they sensed what I did. It was clear on their faces that they did. There was a strange humming in the air.

"What is it?" Cara asked, appearing at my side. I shook my head.

"I'm not quite sure. But I think there's a portal here."

"Can we get home through it?" one of the girls asked. I shrugged, not quite sure. I turned to Cara.

"Keep an eye on them. I'll go first." I stepped into the cave entrance. It felt like there was feathers covering every inch of my skin and blowing softly in the wind. I moved through the portal, and onto the other side. As I did, I bumped into a figure with bright blonde hair. My disorientation and the force of my expulsion from the portal sent us both falling to the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

"Bloody hell, that hurt." Spike sat up, not sure at first what had knocked him down. Then, he saw her hair. He brushed it aside. "Buffy?"

"Hi Spike. Er...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to knock you down." He felt a small sense of loss when she moved off of him and sat back on her heels to look at him.

"Why...what...Buffy, how did you get back?" Buffy pointed over her shoulder. There seemed to be a slight shimmer to the air where she pointed.

"Portal. And there's more. The girls are on the other side, waiting for me to go back and get them home. I need-"  
"I'm coming with you, pet." Buffy shook her head adamantly.

"No, Spike. I can still see that you're not fully healed. And there's no telling what the portal will do to you." It amazed her that it was so easy to slip back into a place where they were getting along, a place where she _wanted_ him to fight beside her, not just because she needed the back-up.

"Hush. I'm not letting you go back there alone. Besides, I have a secret weapon." Urien appeared from the shadows. "Urien. This is Buffy. She needs help. And I'm certain that Makoto would want us to offer her any assistance possible." Urien nodded.

"The Slayer is correct, William. We are unsure of how the portal will affect you. I will go with her and help the others back through. I know that world well."

"What do you expect me to do?" Spike looked between Urien and Buffy, who had stood up as Urien approached.

"Sit here. Look pretty. We'll be sending the first girls through soon, and it would be helpful if you could...I don't know, Spike. Be nice and help them recover as quickly as possible." Buffy stepped back through the portal followed by Urien.

:~:~:~:

I stepped back through the portal and into the cave. The girls were huddled together in a small group. Outside, the sound of creatures moving around was audible. Howls and growls came in, filtered through the wind. Cara looked up and saw me, rushing to me.

"You're back finally!"

"What do you mean 'finally'? I've only been gone a few minutes." Cara shook her head adamantly.

"You've been gone a few hours, at the very least. Some of the other girls...well, they thought you weren't coming back. They left." She looked back towards the mouth of the cave. I shuddered.

"Get everyone up. Have them follow Urien here through the portal. There's a friendly vampire on the other side that will help." Cara and the others started to protest. "Stop. Right now. Listen to me. You've all heard the stories of how you were all called at once, correct?" The girls nodded. "So then, surely, you've heard the story of Spike? William the Bloody?" One of the other girls stepped forward.

"William the Bloody was one of the Fanged Four. He terrorized Europe for a long time, killing Slayers as a sport. He earned the nickname Spike due to his affinity for driving railroad spikes into the heads of his victims. But Spike moved to Sunnydale, and ended up fighting for good. Eventually, he got his soul and sacrificed himself to save the world." I nodded and smiled at the girl.

"What's your name?"

"Kendra Jones, Ms. Summers."

"Oh, please call me Buffy. Anyway, my point was Spike has been brought back. He's agreed to help. So even if you don't trust him, please trust me. I wouldn't put you all in this situation if I didn't believe it was the best choice for all of you." Cara looked at the others.

"You heard her. Our options are to stay here or trust Buffy. Personally, I trust Buffy." Cara stepped towards the portal. Kendra followed her. Others joined them. I turned to Urien.

"Look after them. Hopefully, I'll be back soon." I stepped towards the mouth of the cave, hoping to see some sign of where the other girls had gone.

:~:~:~:

Spike stood up and brushed himself off as soon as Buffy and Urien had left. He didn't see the movement in the shadows, or sense the human's presence until he was struck. Angel rushed at him and knocked him to the ground. If he had needed to breathe, the breath would have been knocked out of him. As it was, his not-fully healed ribs cracked under the pressure.

"Hello, Spikey." Angel grinned wickedly down at him. "Did ya miss me at all?" Angel held Spike down, even though he was now human. Whatever it was that was possessing him was giving him more strength than usual.

"I can't say as I have, Captain Forehead." Spike managed to rasp out.

"Oh, but we used to have _such _fun. You can't tell me you would rather be the Slayer's personal lapdog." Angel laughed menacingly.

"Get. Off. Of. Me." Spike managed to free one of his hands and punched Angel. Angel didn't even flinch, as if the blow didn't even hurt him. In fact, all Angel did was laugh.

"You are so much weaker than even _I_ thought you could possibly be. The Slayer has made you into a sissy, Spike." The first of the girls stepped out of the portal then, disoriented from the portal. She almost fell over the two figures, fighting on the ground. Angel stood up, pulling Spike with him. "Look, Spikey. We have company. A new toy to play with."

"You will not touch her."

"Oh, yeah? And I suppose you're going to stop me?"

"No, but I will." Cordy stepped forward. "I'll stop you." For a moment, Angel stood there with a dumbstruck expression on his face. Then, something odd happened. Spike felt it the instant it did, because Angel still had his arms wrapped tightly around Spike. A strong sort of shudder went through Angel, and he released Spike. Angel collapsed to the ground. Spike turned around and saw Willow, chanting under her breath.

"He's asleep." She finally announced to Cordy. Spike moved to the girl, now joined by a few of the others. He gathered them all together, and got them to sit down. Many of them were injured. Most of them were still disoriented. It seemed like every second a new girl appeared. Finally, Urien stepped through the portal.

Meanwhile, Cordy rushed over to Angel's sleeping form. She touched his forehead, and noticed he felt warm. Not just humanly warm, but feverish warm. Willow was busy with the girls, healing them and making sure they were safe. But Cordy knew that Angel needed help. The urge to do something, _anything_, to help Angel was overpowering. Every molecule in her body screamed at her to do _something._

A bright light appeared. It enveloped Cordy, seeming to touch every part of her. She suddenly felt stronger. She came to a startling realization. She could do it. She could heal Angel. She could remove the entity that was possessing him. Cordy pressed her hand against Angel's chest. The light dimmed slightly, as some of it entered Angel's body. A black mass was expelled from him as the light filled him. When it was gone, Angel stirred slightly but didn't wake.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and turned to watch Cordy as soon as the light had appeared. She looked up and realized they were looking at her with expressions of awe and amazement.

"What are you?" One of the Slayers asked.

"I...I'm not sure." The light was starting to fade, and Cordy was beginning to feel exhausted. Cordy felt slightly dizzy. Spike noticed the slight sway and moved over to help her. Willow moved to check on Angel, who was still asleep but otherwise much improved. Willow looked over at Cordy. Something about the glowing light and her nature had reminded Willow of something she had once read, but Willow couldn't put her finger on it. Spike helped Cordy sit down.

"Spike." It was Urien speaking. He motioned for Spike to speak with him in private. Spike nodded and went to follow Urien. "I need to go back over. The Slayer is still over there. Time moves differently in that world. I'm worried Mabon has her."

"So it was Mabon taking the Slayers then?" Urien nodded. "Then, I'm coming with you." Urien started to rebut this but Spike held up a hand. "No. I don't care if the portal could mess with me. It could kill me. I will do whatever I can to bring Buffy back. If there's even the smallest chance that I will be able to make it through that portal alive then-" He shrugged. "I'm going. End of story." Spike strode towards the portal, a new sense of strength filling him. He wondered briefly if it was because of the mission to save Buffy or if Cordy had somehow healed him. He stepped through the portal without a second thought.

:~:~:~:

A man stood outside the cave. It was almost like he was waiting for me. Creatures surrounded him. "Very good, Buffy. Getting the girls out the way you did. I knew you'd be the one to save them. It was you I wanted all along. You, the cream of the crop." I took a step towards him. One of the creatures snarled at me, but the man held up a hand.

"Who are you?" I was curious. This man looked human.

"I am Mabon. The last of the Lanaiciesti princes." I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if that was supposed to mean something to me. "You shall be my princess. It would have been more idea if you had been a native born Lanaiciesti princess, but this situation will work out in my favor." Mabon signaled for the creatures at his side, and they rushed toward me. I fought them, taking the majority of them out before I was overcome. One of them strikes me, knocking me unconscious. Before I loose myself in darkness, I see Spike's bright hair like a beacon, coming through the cave.

:~:~:~:

He saw her the moment before she slumped to the ground. That sight was enough to propel him forward. The few demons that remained stood absolutely no chance against him. Mabon moved to fight him, and a loud snarled ripped from Spike's chest.

"Urien. Get Buffy out of here. NOW." Spike didn't even look back to be sure the demon had complied. Mabon drew a wicked looking sword out of a scabbard on his hip.

"You. You have proven very costly to me, half-breed." Spike grimaced at the prince.

"Makoto fled from you for a reason, Mabon." Spike spun as Mabon darted behind him. It was clear he wasn't used to fighting a vampire because Mabon had not expected Spike to move so fast. As Mabon was lowering his sword to strike, Spike move. He grabbed the demon, spinning him around. Fully vamped out in the heat of the moment, Spike sank his teeth into the demon prince's neck. Mabon screamed in utter agony. Spike drained him, and then snapped the demon's neck just to be sure he was dead. A strange sensation filled him, but Spike shook it off, focusing on getting back to Buffy.

As he stepped through the portal, Spike fell to his knees. The demon blood was doing something to him, that was clear. He couldn't ignore it, even when he saw Buffy rushing to him. He heard her calling to him, but it sounded distant. As she reached him, Spike toppled over, and things began to fade to black. The last thing he saw was the tears on her face. With the last ounce of strength he could muster, he touched her cheek. Then, everything went black.

:~:~:~:

I caught Spike as he fell. Something was wrong. Really wrong. My heart pounded. I knew now, without a single doubt in my mind, that I loved him. It seemed somehow unfair to see him in such bad shape. I called to him, but the light was already fading from his eyes. Whatever had happened on the other side of the portal, it was clear it had been bad. I looked at his face, and I knew he was dying.

"Don't leave me. Please, Spike. Not again." Tears fell from my eyes. Spike lifted his hand and weakly rested it on my cheek. I reached up to hold it, but the moment I did, his body went limp. I looked up and found Willow standing over me. "Help him. Please Willow."

"I'm...I'm sorry Buff. I can't. I can't fix this. It's beyond me." I heard another familiar voice then.

"I can. I can help him." Cordy struggled to her feet and came over. She knelt down beside Spike and placed her hand on his chest. A light surrounded her, flowing from Cordy to Spike. I didn't understand it, and my instinct was to protect Spike from her. But I sensed something pure about this light.

A moment later, Spike coughed and drew in a long breath. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "Buffy? What happened?"

I was looking at Cordy shocked. "Cordy's some kind of angel or something." Cordy was ignoring me, looking at Angel on the ground. I looked back at Spike.

"Bloody hell." He struggled to sit up. "I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. And there's this strange...OH." He put his hand over his heart.

"What is it?" I looked at him confused.

"My heart! She...she cured me. I'm human."


	16. Epilogue

:~:~:~:Epilogue:~:~:~:

It took Spike a long time to adjust to being human. Over the next year, Buffy had to basically teach him how to be a human again. It was perfectly okay with her, though. Even when she had to remind him of something numerous times, she didn't care. As long as he was there. After the night of the battle, he had explained everything to her. She had been angry at first, but not angry enough to ask him to leave. Too much had changed, and she knew now that she couldn't go back to living without him.

Almost a year to the day, there was a wedding. It was not the wedding everyone expected, but one between a former vampire and an angelic being. Cordy and Angel had finally admitted how they felt about one another, and had decided to make it official after the birth of their daughter. At the wedding, Buffy caught the bouquet.

"You know what that means, right Spike?" Willow asked, winking at him. But Spike had already planned it all out. He would never let Buffy go again. She was far too important to him.

Three weeks later, he proposed with Willow's help. Buffy said yes, making him happier than he even knew he could be. They would go on to spend many happy years together, fighting demons together.


	17. Thanks

Thank you to all the readers who stuck with me despite the long absences! I appreciate each and every one of you.

A big special thanks to the admin of my Buffyverse page (particularly admin Spike!)! I love you all!

And the biggest thanks goes to Joss Whedon for his ABSOLUTE brilliance and every other person behind BTVS and ATS. 3


End file.
